The UK Court of Appeal has ended Craig Steven Wright’s bid to overturn the decision that dismissed his claim to the title of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym of the Bitcoin creator, to an end.
The judgment delivered on the 28th of November 2024 reaffirmed the High Court’s earlier judgment that Wright is not the author of Bitcoin. Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Arnold declared the appeal to be “totally without merit.”
Final court decision ends Wright’s legal fight
The court stated that Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto. The statement clarified that Wright did not write the Bitcoin White Paper, the first source code of Bitcoin, or even start the Bitcoin network. This was after the court had heard the matter for 22 days of trial and had received evidence from 15 witnesses and their cross-examinations.
The judges noted that there existed sufficient evidence that discredited Wright in the statements he made. From the findings, it was seen that Wright had forged documents and had made false presentations to the court. The court also noted that Wright’s own expert witnesses supported many of the assertions of the adverse party, and thus, Wright’s testimony was even more unconvincing.
Wright alleged that bias and procedural misconduct tainted the trial because of the constitutional violation. The court, however, dismissed the allegations and stated that Wright received a fair hearing. The ruling also pointed to the fact that the court considered Wright’s needs, such as the consent orders for ASD.
The ruling is in line with the High Court’s judgment in May that was made in favor of the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA). As a result, the court will hold a two-day trial in London on December 18, 2024, to decide whether the new case violates the injunction. The court added, “The appeals have no prospect of success whatever, and there is no other reason to hear them.”
Wright has also had his fair share of legal woes that have been tortured by contempt of court charges. Recently, it was revealed that Wright was in China when filing the appeal. This raised issues on compliance with the court orders. A U.K. judge has since ordered Wright to come back for a hearing on these allegations. After the dismissal of the appeal, Wright may decide to take the case to the UK Supreme Court.
The ruling strengthens the anonymity of Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. Several theories have been conducted over the years, some of which reveal key members of the cryptocurrency community.
In October 2024, an HBO documentary suggested that Canadian Bitcoin developer Peter Todd might be Nakamoto. However, Todd dismissed the claim. As of this writing, Bitcoin is trading at $97,860.
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